still ok to wait until 6 months for solids? Feeling pressured!

Julias Table

Many people who never breastfed and/or those without breasts are telling me I should give him solids at 4 months.

I really wanted to wait until 6 months to start solids.

For a few reasons. One..... I thoguht that is was the standard for exclusively breastfed babies and the healthiest thing for them, and two, I love nursing him and the bonding time and (selfishly) want to do it as much as I can with him and want him to stay this little forever.

I want to wait until 6 months, but what if he shows interest in foods at 4 or 5 months. Is it bad to make him wait?

 

~Flossie~

All of the Dr.'s and nurses I've talked to all said to wait until 6 months.

12PinkBeach

I totally feel the pressure too! LO is 5 months and 2 weeks today. Just today a mom of a girl younger than LO said she's loving her rice cereal and how she now STTN bc of it. I was like, great but DH is adamant about nothing but bm. ha ha I found it easier to blame DH, bc when I was saying I wanted to wait I felt like I was starting a debate with a mom who gave solids before.

My pedi did say at our 4 month that he could start but its our choice.

I would make him wait, my LO is doing just fine.

lindzed

I gave my first solids at 4 months, but honestly it was just a struggle until around 6 months.  I totally plan on waiting until 6 months with my next baby.

Brewtowngrl

Follow your babies cues.  DS wanted to join the dinner party at about 5.5 months. 

ncbelle

Breastfeeding experts - including the AAP committee on breastfeeding - recommend nothing but breastmilk for the first 6 months.

Babies are interested in putting everything in their mouths at 4-6 months; that doesn't necessarily mean they are ready for solids!

Jenilyn and Matthew

Our pedi told us that if DD was interested in food we could let her try some cereals at 4 and 5 months to get used to the texture. We told him we wanted to wait until 6 months and he was totally fine with that. We just started solids last week and it's been going great. We were super pressured from everyone to give her foods early, but she was happy and gaining weight on BM so we left her diet alone! It felt good to go to her 6 month apptment and know that all her weight came from Mama's milk! it won't hurt your baby to start earlier, but there is nothing wrong with waiting!

BunnyMendelbaum

IMO. There is no magic that happens at 6 months. Every baby is different. I had intended to wait until 6 months, but at 5 months, my daughter was grabbing for our food, smacking lips and pretend chewing. 

It was impossible to eat in front of her. She would follow the spoon from your bowl to your mouth. The first time I gave her solids, she gobbled them down and practically ate the spoon! 

Watch your LO. She will tell you when she is ready. 

chocopotamus

~Flossie~:

All of the Dr.'s and nurses I've talked to all said to wait until 6 months.

this exactly

Billysbaby722

https://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

It's really okay! 

adamstodrake

We waited until 7 months. At 11 months, he is interested in solids and will eat them, but has not replaced any nursing with them. Go with your gut. My in-laws did their best to pressure me to start earlier and I'd pretty much nod and smile while tuning out when they talked about it.

Joeypnut

BunnyMendelbaum:

IMO. There is no magic that happens at 6 months. Every baby is different. I had intended to wait until 6 months, but at 5 months, my daughter was grabbing for our food, smacking lips and pretend chewing. 

It was impossible to eat in front of her. She would follow the spoon from your bowl to your mouth. The first time I gave her solids, she gobbled them down and practically ate the spoon! 

Watch your LO. She will tell you when she is ready. 

This except for the fact that my DD doesn't like any solids.  If I put it on the spoon and give her the spoon, some of it gets in her mouth, but she doesn't seem too impressed with it.  After a while she just starts spitting and won't let the spoon near her mouth.  I have tried a few BLW things (nothing she could actually "eat"), and she seems happier with that.  If she's ok with sucking on apple slices, carrots, and the occasional banana, then I have no problems with it either.  It actually makes things easier for me since I wanted to do BLW, but she was so interested/frustrated with watching us eat that I thought I would just try a little bit of purees and see what happened.

MWoodside

All the research we did & the pedi indicated to wait until 6 mo if you are BFing.  We waited until 6.5.  It's super important to look at readiness signs & not just age though b/c a baby could be ready before or after 6 mo.  Can baby sit unassisted?  Is the tongue thrust reflex gone?  Birth weight doubled? etc.

ibekatieg

I think it's an individual decision that you should make with your pedi.

That said I wanted to add that even if you do introduce solids, the core of LO's diet will still be BM so you won't lose out on nursing.  They should only consume one "solid" meal a day and a small one at that for the first few months. 

Ardmhs83

I felt pressured too!  My parents and other relatives were always asking, "when are you going to give that boy some real food?"  It got pretty annoying, but my DH and I stuck to our guns and said not until 6 months...it is what is best.  So we did wait...we just started him on oatmeal last week and he loves it!  We start some kind of veggies tomorrow.

My DS did show interest in food before 6 months too, but we still waited.